Composite closure caps and method for fitting same on containers



Nov. 22, 1960 A. PODESTA COMPOSITE CLOSURE CAPS AND METHOD FOR FITTING SAME ON CONTAINERSv 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 6, 1955 INVENTOR Nov. 22, 1960 A. PODESTA 2,951,109 COMPOSITE CLOSURE CAPS AND METHOD FOR FITTING SAME; ON CONTAINERS Filed Sept. 6, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Ill United States COMPOSITE CLOSURE CAPS AND METHOD FOR FITTING SAME N CDNTAINERS Armando Podesta, Milan, Italy, assignor to Vetri Industriali S.A.R.L., Milan, Italy Filed Sept. 6, 1955, Ser. No. 532,491 Claims priority, application Italy Sept. 7, 1954 1 Claim. (Cl. 215-39) This invention relates to composite closure caps for containers.

The main object of the invention is to provide a closure for containers provided with a beaded or grooved neck, just above the container month, which is economical, absolutely tight, easy to fit and to remove, and which, once removed, has a part which is adapted to act as temporary stopper.

The closure according to the invention consists in a composite cap and comprises an inner non-metallic cap having a substantially cylindrical or slightly conical skirt, which is made of a resilient, resistant material and preferably of a synthetic resin such as polyethylene or polyvinyl: This non metallic cap is capped on its turn by a cap made preferably of permanently deformable metal, adapted to be clamped under the container mouth in a position in which it strictly adheres against the skirt of the inner cap and tightly compresses same against the container. m,

According to an embodiment of the invention the outer metallic cap has a skirt which adheres against the outer surface of the inner resilient cap.

According to other embodiments of the invention the outer cap is provided with a pre-curled skim-whereby when the composite cap is not clamped on the container, the metallic cap may adhere either substantially completely or only in part against the underlying non-metallic cap. 7 I

According to a third embodiment of the invention the non-metallic cap skirt is beaded at its edge and the overlying-metallic cap has such a shape as to adhere by its edge portion of its skirt against said underlying bead.

Of course, the outer metallic cap may be provided with a tear-off tongue, which may be obtained in any conventional manner, and for example by cutting partially the bottom of the said cap.

The method for the fitting on container months the double caps of the kind above-referred to substantially consists in clamping the metallic cap skirt against the container neck in a position in which it overlies the corresponding skirt of the non-metallic cap, so as to cause this latter to strictly adhere against the container mouth and underlying neck part.

The clamping of the metal cap may be effected in such conditions of pressure and temperature as to deform at least in part permanently the said non-metallic cap, so as to permit of using same as non-tight closure cap after the removal of the outer metallic cap.

In case of caps having substantially cylindrical skirts without beads, projecting parts or curlings, the clamping of the metal cap skirt on the underlying non-metallic skirt and container neck is elfected preferably by rolling.

Whenever the skirt of the metallic cap is precurled, the clamping of the metallic skirt on the underlying nonmetallic skirt and container neck may be eifected either by completing the curling or by constricting the beaded part by means of a suitable tool, for example those employed for fitting the conventional crown corks.

In some cases however, when the skirt of the metallic cap above the curling is spaced from the underlying nonmetallic cap skirt, the clamping of the metallic skirt on the underlying non-metallic skirt and container neck is 5 effected by drawing the upper part of the metallic skirt against the underlying part of the skirt of the non-metallic cap and then constricting the inner diameter of the curling of the metallic skirt.

When however the non-metallic cap skirt is provided with a beaded edge to which adheres the corresponding edge of the skirt of the metal cap, the clamping of the cap is efiected by constricting the beaded parts of both skirts by means of a tubular mandrel provided with a conical bore, substantially of the type of those employed for the clamping of crown corks.

During the anchoring operation of the composite cap according to the invention, due to the same compression and to some heat developed during the compression of the cap skirts against the container or to other causes, the non-metallic inner cap becomes permanently deformed although it yields elacstically when taken off or fitted on the container and thus it may serve always as stopper for the same container.

The invention will be better understood from the following specification of some preferred embodiments, ,Wl'lCIl read in conjunction with the attached drawings, in

which:

Figure 1 shows a section through a first embodiment of a composite closure cap according to the invention.

Figure 2 shows in section the same cap fitted to a container mouth.

Figure 3 shows part in section and part in elevation another form of composite cap according to the invention. Figure 4 shows in section on the left hand half the cap shown in Figure 3 fitted to a container mouth in the first stage of the clamping of the curled edge and the right-hand half shows the same cap after the clamping of the whole on the container mouth.

Figure 5 shows part in section and part in elevation a I third embodiment of composite cap according to the invention.

vFigure 6 shows an section in the left half the cap shown in Figure 5 in the first step of its anchoring to the container and in the right-hand half shows the same cap I in fully closed position.

Figure 7 shows part in section and part in view a fourth embodiment of composite closure cap according to the invntion; and

Figure 8 shows on the left-hand half the same cap fitted on a container month, before its anchoring, and the right-hand half shows the positions of the cap and anchoring device at the end of the cap-anchoring operation.

With reference to the drawings, the composite closure cap according to the invention comprises an inner nonmetallic cap 2 having a substantially cylindrical or slightly conical skirt 20 and having a substantial thickness, which is generally greater than that of the metallic cap. This inner cap is made of a resilient, resistant material and preferably of a synthetic resin such as polyethylene or polyvinyl.

This non-metallic cap 2, in its turn is capped by an outer cap 1, 101, 201, 301 made of a permanently deformable metal, adapted to be clamped under the container mouth in a position in which it strictly adheres against the skirt of the inner cap and tightly compresses same against the container.

According to the embodiment shown in Fig. 1, the outer metallic cap 1 has a skirt which adheres against the outer surface of the skirt 2B of the inner resilient cap 2 and its bottom is cut as to provide a conventional tear-off tongue 7.

According to Figure 3, the outer cap 101 is provided Patented Nov. 22, 11960 with a pr'e-curled edge 110. A like pre-curled edge 310 is formed on the metallic cap 301 shown in Fig. 7. When however the composite cap is not clamped on the container, the metallic cap adheres only in part against the underlying non-metallic cap. 7

On the other hand, in the embodiment shownin' Figure 5, the non-metallic cap skirt 20.is beaded at its edge 120 and the metallic cap 201 has a flaring skirt edge'210 in such a manner as .to cap'the non-metallic bead 120.

"The anchoring of the just described composite caps on a container R (Figures 2, 4, 6 and 8) provided with a bead C under their mouth is efiected'by'any suitable device, provided the permanent deformation effected by the constriction of the skirt of the metal caps is effected in such. a manner as to compress a part of the skirt 20 or 120 of the non-metallic cap 2 between the metallic skirt and a corresponding part of the container neck.

In order to do this, the skirt of the non-metallic cap must be of sufficient length as to be safely clamped and resiliently, and usually also in part permanently deformed in correspondence with the constricted part, of the outer metallic cap skirt. In order to be sure of this, the edge of the skirt of the non-metallic cap is usually flush with,

or is projecting out of the edge of the skirt of the metallic cap, as clearly shown in the drawing.

In Figure 2 there is shown the method of anchoring a composite cap such as that shown in Figure 1 to a container R by rolling same by means of a rolling device 3 in a position above the cap edge.

In Figure 4 the composite cap shown in Figure 3 is an chored to the bead C of the neck of the container R by constricting the curling 110 of the metallic'cap101 on the non-metallic skirt by axially shifting, (in the direction of the arrow) at mandrel 4 provided with a conical bore of the type of those employed for anchoring conventional crown corks. p

The same device serves for anchoring the composite cap shown in Figure 5, as clearly shown inJFigure 6.

Last, when the composite cap is of the type described with reference to Figure 7, viz. the skirt of the metallic cap 301 presents an upper shoulder and a pre-curled edge, the anchoring of the cap is effected by adoptinga known device which effects the tight. drawing of a part of the skirt of the metallic cap and the constriction. of the pre-curled edge by prosecution of the curling as shown at 410, in the right-hand side of Figure. 8, by holding the curl 310 in a groove of a curlingtool 5 and by shifting downwardly a hollow mandrel 6, in the direction ofthe arrow drawn on the left-hand side of Figure 8. A like method of overcurling could be adopted also with the cap shown in Figure 3.

Of course, the invention may undergo numerous changes. Thus the metallic cap could be also slotted or cage-like and numerous other conventional cap forms and anchoring means therefor could be adopted without departing from the scope of the appended claim.

I claim:

A closure cap for a container having a projecting bead surrounding its mouth comprising an inner cap having a depending generally cylindrical skirt and formed of a resilient material, an outer cap of deformable metal having a depending skirt portion overlying the skirt of said inner cap, and means at the lower end of the skirt portion of said outer cap encircling the skirt of the inner cap for pressing the skirt of the inner cap equally and firmly radially inwardly against the container head, said means including an inwardly curled edge forming a closed circular loop extending for at least 360 degrees, said loop having tangential contact with the cylindrical skirt at a point inwardly spaced from the free edge thereof, at least the major portion thereof extending outwardly beyond the outer cap skirt portion, so that upon being fitted on a bottle by a hollow conical die, said curled edge is squeezed and conforms to the shape of the container head while holding the inner cap firmly thereagainst.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,579,411 Sorgan Apr. 6, 1926 1,808,345 Euwer June 2, 1931 1,848,695 Church Mar. 8, 1932 2,080,747 Scofield May 18, 1937 2,096,428 Hogg et al Oct. 19, 1937 2,135,752 Jones Nov. 8, 1938 2,238,681 Dorough Apr. 15, 1941 2,356,012 ,Smith Aug. 15, 1944 2,358,889 Thomas Sept. 26, 1944 2,427,699 Aronovsky et a1. Sept. 23, 1947 2,445,647 Thomas July 20, 1948 2,507,427 Underwood May 9, 1950 2,527,885 Krueger Oct. 31, 1950 2,726,001 Cululi Dec. 6, 1955 2,741,388 Rubin Apr. 10, 1956 2,808,954 Smith Oct. 8, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,031,269 France Mar. 18, 1953 

